Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-25
A BIT OF HISTORY.
,AcKsoEs FLANK MOVEMENT AT CHAN,
cgLLoRsvILLE.
whe Originated the strategy-an Interest
ing Letter from Or. J. william
Jones
tAuanta constitution.l .

i was very much interested in the &C.
count of the "last official interview be-
tween Lee and Jackson" which you
published this morning, written by Cap
tain Carlton Mccarthy in the Richmond
Critic.
Ii very conclusively shows that the
great flank movement which resulted in
The defeat OF Hooker originated with
Lee, and not las has been popnlarly sup
posed with jackson.
But as all details concerning these
great and good men and their relations
to each other are OF interest. I beg TO
give you some additional facts concern
ing that famous interview and the origin
Of that brilliant movement.
In General A. l.. Longs Life OF Lee he
published letter from the gallant and
accomplished engineer officer, Colonel
T. NJ. r. Talcott, (who. by the way, is
soon to become @ citizen OF Atlanta,) in
which he gives the following deeply-in-
teresting account of that historic inter
view. Colonel Talcott says:
"My recollections of the night be-
fore the battle OF Charlottesville are as
follows:
About sunset General jackson sent
word TO General Lee Thy mel that his
advance was checked. and the enemy
we're in force at Charlottesville. This
brought General Lee to the front, and
General jackson met him at the south
east angle OF the Charlottesville and
Cathrine Forge road.
General Lee asked General jackson
IL he had ascertained the position and
strength of the enemy on our left, to
which General jackson replied by stating
the result OF an attack made by Stuart's
cavalry near Cathrine Forge about
dusk. The position of the enemy i'm
mediately in our front WAS then dis
cussed, and Captain Boswell and myself
were sent to make a moonlight recon
noissaDce, the result Of which was re-
ported about 10 p. NJ, and was not IA
vorable to an attack in front
cat this time Generals Lee and Jack
son were together, and Lee, who had a
map before him, asked Jackson, How
can we get at these people? To which
Jackson replied, in effect, You know
best Show me what to do and ! will
do it. General Lee looked thoughtfully
at the map then indicated on it and ex-
planned the movement he desired Cen
eral Jackson to make, and closed by say
ing: General Stuart will cover your
movement with his cavalry General
Jackson listened attentively, and his face
lighted up with q smile while General
Lee was speaking. Then rising and
touching his cap, he said: My troops
will move at o'clock.
1t will be seen that this letter of Colo
mel Talcott is very explicit on the point
that jackson declined TO make sug-
gestion as TO what was best to be done,
and Lee suggested and ordered the flank
movement.
Colonel Charles Marshall, who was
at the time Lees military secretary,
gives a graphic and interesting account
Of either the same interview or OF an
other the same evening, as that given
above by Colonel Talcott, and | quote
Colonel Marshall's account as given In
General Fitzhugh Lees superb address
on Charlottesville before the Army OF
Northern Virginia Association.
General Fltz Lee says "The pro
blem presented TO General Lees mind
on Friday night, May LIST, was to decide
how best to attack Rockers army on the
morning of May ID. Time was an I'M
portant element, for near Fredericks-
burg. in his rear, was Sedwick largely
outnumbering the Confederate force Ill
his front under Early. During the after
noon Genoral Loo wishcd to attack from
his right and cut Hooker off from the
United States ford, severing his commu-
nication with Sedgwick, and rode down
himself and examined the lines all the way
10 the river, but found no way to do so.
Returning at night he found jackson,
and asked him If he knew of any place
10 attack. Jackson said No Lee said
Then we must go around on the Fede-
raj right Jackson said he had been in
curing about roads by the furnace.
Stuart came up then and said he would
20 down to the furnace and see what he
could learn about roads. He soon re-
turned with Rev. DIR. Il. I. Lacy, who
said circuit could be made around by
Wilderness tavern, ana young man
living in the country and then IN the
cavalry was sent for to act as guide.
"Ah what an earnest talk Lee and
jackson had on the night of May LIST.
At sunset they took their seats on a log,
on the right or north side Of the Plank
road and a little distance in the woods.
Colonel Marshall, the well-known aid
de-camp of General Lee, was the only
other person present, having been or
dered 10 come to the spot for the pur-
nose of writing letter to Mr.. Davis,
dictated by General Lee. Marshall sat
on the end of fallen tree within
three feet of the two Generals, and
heard every word that passed be-
tween them, and this is what he
tells me Lee and Jackson talked
about on that eventful night. jackson
spoke 10 General Lee about what he had
seen and heard during the advance, and
commented upon the promptness with
which the enemy had appeared to aban
don his movement towards Frederlcks
burg when opposed and the ease with
which he had been driven back 10 Chan
cellorsyille, and concluded by expressing
the opinion very decidedly and repeat
ing il more than once that the enemy
would recross the Rsppahannock before
morning. ne btilu III oubotAASS
tomorrow morning there will not be any
of them this side of the river Gene
eral Lee expressed the hope that Gene
raj Jsckson's expectations might bt
realized. but said that he did not lool
for such a result; that he did not be
lieve the enemy would abandon his at
tempts so easily, and expressed the con
yiction that the main body OF Genera
Hooker's army was in his front, and tina
the real move was to be made from thu
direction, and not from fredericksburg
On this point there was a great diiier
ence Of opinion among our higher ON
GERS, and General Lee was the only ON
who seemed to have the absolute eonvie
ton that the real move OF the Fedora
army was the one he was meeting then
In this belief he never wavered iron
the first. After telling General jackson
tina. he's hoped his opinion might b.
proyed 10 he correct, General Lee added
but. General, We must get ready to at
tack the enemy, If We should find hiu
here tomorrow, and You must make oil
arrangements 10 move around his RICH
flank General Lee then took up TIT
,,c,ptat ,,,t tp Iockcn., a.